


Scrooge

by GabesBeanie



Series: Merry Christmas, Darlin' [5]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: 25 Days of Christmas, Adoption, Adoptive Parents - Freeform, Foster Care, Gen, M/M, Scrooge - Freeform, i totes adjusted the foster system to suit my own needs, you ready for some feels?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-05
Updated: 2017-12-05
Packaged: 2019-02-11 06:46:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,279
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12929751
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GabesBeanie/pseuds/GabesBeanie
Summary: 5/25 Days of Christmas || ScroogeYoung Jesse McCree has no reason to like Christmas. Yet.





	Scrooge

**Author's Note:**

> I updated the translations in these!  
> On PC, hover over text for translations.  
> On Mobile, tap it to be taken to the translation. Click the "Back" button on your browser to go back where you left off.  
> I hope this helps! :)

“Gabe!” Jack’s voice called through the house, ripe with urgency. In the kitchen, Gabriel dropped the wooden spoon he was holding in favor of a large kitchen knife, rushing to where his husband’s voice came from.

He found Jack on the couch in their living room, texting away furiously on his phone. He glanced up when he noticed Gabriel in the doorway, notably ignoring the knife in his hand.

“Agent Smith just texted,” Jack smiled, practically vibrating with excitement. He hit send on his message and shoved the phone in Gabriel’s hands, quickly snatching the knife. “Read!”

Gabriel read.

 **Agent Smith** | _Happy Holidays to my favorite clients!_

 **Agent Smith** | _I have great news! ;D_

 **Agent Smith** | _I got into contact with a local foster home and they are more than happy for you to come visit!_

 **Agent Smith** | _You can go as early as tomorrow, just let me know what time works!!_

Gabriel’s gaze shot up to meet his husband's—he was smiling so wide it must have hurt his face.

“Holy shit,” Gabriel whispered.

After almost ten months, mountains of paperwork, and a plethora of inspections, they were finally going to meet some kids. They were one step closer to building the little family they’d been working towards.

Gabriel rushed his husband and gripped him in a tight hug, lifting and spinning him around. “Oh, mi sol…” he muttered into Jack’s chest. Jack clung back tightly, laughing and teary-eyed.

“I told her we’d be ready for tomorrow at 11,” Jack said, kissing Gabriel’s forehead as he was lowered to the floor.

“Perfect,” Gabriel beamed. He ran a slightly trembling hand down his beard. “Shit, I’m nervous.”

“Yeah,” Jack laughed. “Me too.”

Almost a year ago, Jack and Gabriel purchased their dream home. It was large, spacious, and had a huge back yard with tall oaks. They had the house equipped with the top security available and then some. Years in their respective military branches topped with a handful of years in a special forces project together ingrained a healthy dose of precaution and paranoia.

It definitely made inspections easier.

They had gotten married almost as soon as they retired from the program, scarred up from bouts too classified to even think about. They were both still relatively young, just on the cusp of their thirties, and still rearing for their next adventure. It wasn’t too long before their spacious house began to feel too empty.

Now they were a step closer to becoming fathers.

=x=x=x=

 

Jack and Gabriel met with their adoption agent outside of the foster care at precisely ten minutes to the hour.

“There’s my favorite clients!” She smiled, trotting over in her tall heels to give them each a light hug. They had gotten very close to their agent, one Miss Tonya Smith, over the last several months, even dubbing her “Agent Smith”, much to her delight.

Tonya had been indispensable in helping them through the adoption process. Both Jack and Gabriel had specially requested being able to meet with potentially matched children in person before making any decisions, which required some accommodating. Several foster homes had turned the request down for a number of reasons, not that they could be blamed for it. The one they were currently visiting was one of the few to allow them to meet the kids face-to-face. If they clicked with any of them, they could go from there.

“Okay, so Mrs. Baylor will meet with you first to go over some things and talk about the kids. She’s currently fostering five, ages ranging from ten months to nine years. She says you’re welcome to meet with any of them and today they’re putting up decorations,” Agent Smith snapped her notebook closed with a smile. “Shall we, gents?”

Jack and Gabriel grabbed each other’s hands. They were ready.

=x=x=x=

If you asked Gabriel later what had drawn him to the kid, he wouldn’t have a solid answer. The boy was young, but not the youngest by far. He was curled up in a squishy looking armchair in the living room, reading a paperback novel that looked way above his reading level.

Gabriel walked up to him, noting that he was the only one not crowded into the kitchen, decorating for the upcoming holiday.

“Hello,” Gabriel started, a little unsure how exactly to proceed.

The boy looked up, sable hair falling in his eyes and quickly pushed away with small fingers. “Howdy,” he said with utter seriousness.

It was then that Gabriel noticed that he was reading an Old West sort of novel.

“You like cowboys?” Gabriel asked, putting his hands in his pockets and relaxing his posture.

“Yeah,” the boy answered. “Mrs. Baylor said my Pa was a cowboy. He had a ranch.”

“Hm… A ranching man?” That didn’t exactly make sense for the area.

“Yeah, not here though,” the boy rubbed at his nose, turning his attention back to his book. “In Santa Fe.”

Ah, so this must be Jesse.

Mrs. Baylor had explained that Jesse McCree had been in the system for some time, passed between a few different homes to somehow wind up on the west coast. He shouldn’t have crossed any state lines. No one was quite sure how it happened.

Gabriel squatted down next to the chair, eyelevel with Jesse. “You know how to say cowboy in Spanish?”

Jesse looked up at him and shook his head, hair flying all over the place, his eyes wide with curiosity.

Gabriel smiled, “ _Vaquero_.”

Jesse scrunched his face up, concentrating, “Va…”

“ _Va… que… ro_ ,” Gabriel repeated.

It took a couple of tries and a minute of explaining how to roll the “r” sound properly, but Jesse got it.

A squeal from the kids behind him jolted Gabriel’s attention, instinct forcing him into a ready position, hands resting on his thighs, prepared to move.

The children were playing with tinsel. False alarm. He didn’t relax completely though, his mind now geared up, just in case.

Gabriel looked back at Jesse to see him frowning intensely at the other kids. It wasn’t malicious, but…

“Why don’t you go decorate with the others?” He asked, watching Jesse closely.

The frown deepened and Jesse rubbed at his nose again. “Don’t like Christmas. It’s a stupid holiday.”

That caused Gabriel to raise an eyebrow. He waited, giving the boy time to continue if he chose.

He huffed, looking as though he wanted to curl into himself, eyes trained on the book. “Christmas is for families. I ain’t got one.” He sniffed, “I can’t remember my last Christmas with Ma n’ Pa, was too young when they died. Ain’t real close to the kids here either, they’re too young.”

Gabriel had a feeling Jesse was forced to grow up rather quickly for someone his age. He wouldn’t have gotten close to his other foster families, the turbulence of his young life forcing him into himself.

“I ain’t got a home, I ain’t got a family, I ain’t got friends. I ain’t got no reason to like Christmas.” Jesse whispered out. Gabriel’s heart hurt at how terribly fragile and lonely he looked in that moment.

A moment of silence passed between them, Jesse scrubbing his eyes and Gabriel lost in thought.

“There you are!” A hand landed lightly on Gabriel’s shoulder, causing a minute twitch. “Here I was looking for a tall, handsome man and he was hiding all along.”

Gabriel turned slightly, happy for the interruption. “Mi sol, this is Jesse.”

Jack took in the boy with some quick glances. “Hello, Jesse. I’m Jack.”

“Hi,” Jesse greeted back, shuffling in his seat. “Why’s yer voice all scratchy?”

Jack coughed, suddenly self-conscious. “Uh, well,” he glanced at Gabriel. “We were in the military together for a time. I led a team so I had to yell a lot.” He chuckled, rubbing at his throat, “Now I sound like I gargle marbles.”

It was partial truth, but it got a laugh out of Jesse.

“You know, Jack here was raised on a farm,” Gabriel remarked. Jesse’s eyes lit up and he turned to Jack.

“Are you a cowboy? A va… vaquero!?”

Jack put up his hands a bit, “Not quite, we didn’t deal with herds of cattle, mostly potatoes.” At Jesse’s crestfallen expression Jack quickly added, “but I do know how to ride a horse.”

Jesse looked star struck.

Gabriel noticed Agent Smith standing off to the side with Mrs. Baylor. He glanced up at Jack, “¿Está bien si hablo con él por un minuto?”

Jack looked from Gabriel to Jesse, who looked mystified at the rapid Spanish. “Sure, love.” He kissed his husband’s check and went to speak with the ladies.

Gabriel knew what Jack was doing—a subtle test. If Jesse wasn’t comfortable with their affection, then this might not be the best fit. Which would be a shame since Gabriel could already feel himself becoming attached.

Jesse, to his credit, didn’t seem to care at all. He blinked at the action before turning back to his book, his small fingers tracing the lines slowly as he went.

“Yer leaving now, huh?” He muttered, a full pout on his face.

Gabriel sighed, “Soon, yeah.”

Jesse looked up at him again, his eyes wide and lost and just the tiniest shred hopeful.

There was no way Gabriel wasn’t going to fight for this kid.

“What do you want Santa to bring you for Christmas?”

Jesse blinked at him. “Cowboy stuff.” He looked down, flipping the pages of his book. “I dunno how Santa’s gonna find me, though…”

Gabriel had a feeling that played a larger part in Jesse’s dislike for Christmas than he was letting on. The instability of his younger years leaving its own brand of scars. He slowly stuck his hand out laying it palm up between them on the arm of the chair. Jesse tentatively moved his small fist onto it, fingers wrapping around Gabriel’s thumb.

“If you promise to be good and kind, Santa will find you.”

“Even if I think Christmas is stupid?” Jesse looked genuinely worried.

Gabriel chuckled, “Yeah, just don’t tell that to the others, hm?”

Jesse smiled and nodded. “I can do that.”

=x=x=x=

It was Christmas morning and Jesse was trying _so_ hard not to be grumpy. He promised Mr. Gabe that he would be good and not ruin Christmas for the other kids.

They, at least, deserved a happy day.

Mr. Gabe and Mr. Jack had left their phone number with Mrs. Baylor that first day, telling him that he could call whenever he wanted, even just to ask what a word was in his book. They had spoken over video chat a few times, usually for no longer than a few minutes before he would be asked to help with chores, or something else interrupted them.

It was nice, though.

Mrs. Baylor handed out stockings filled with little candies and knick-knacks. He even got a little sheriff’s badge!

“Psst, Jesse!” Mrs. Baylor called him over from where he was parked by the tree, idly watching the other kids play. He trotted over to kitchen, curious.

“You got a special something this year!” She pulled a wide, flat box from behind her back. It was covered in red paper with a shiny golden bow. “Go ahead, open it up!”

Jesse smiled, thanking her earnestly before plopping down right there on the kitchen floor to rip open the paper. He opened up the carboard box within to find a card sitting on top of some soft, richly colored fabric.

He picked up the cloth, not sure what it was. There was a tag hanging from it with writing in blocky text: _This is called a serape and all the cool cowboys wear one. Enjoy._

Jesse pulled it on immediately, smoothing his hands over the wool. It was warm and soft

“Don’t forget to open the card, Jesse!” Mrs. Baylor chuckled.

“Oh yeah,” Jesse flipped it over and tore it open. The card was simple red and green with a cartoon present on the front. He opened it up.

Inside was a picture of Mr. Gabe and Mr. Jack sitting in front of a glittering tree. Mr. Gabe had a large bow attached to his hat to match the one on Mr. Jack’s chest. They were both covered in ribbons of tinsel, holding up a sign between them.

_Jesse,_

_Will you let us be your Christmas present?_

Jesse’s gaze snapped back to his foster mother’s face, stricken. She offered a vibrant smile and nod to his unspoken question: _Is this real?_

He cried.

Fat tears ran down his cheeks as he buried his face into the soft wool of the serape and wailed. He couldn’t believe it. He was getting a family for Christmas.

“Do you want to call them?” Mrs. Baylor asked, holding out a tissue for him. Jesse nodded, still hiccupping.

She handed Jesse her phone, the video call already ringing through. Mr. Jack picked up the call with a huge smile and a Santa hat perched on his head. “Jesse!” He turned away from the screen for a moment to yell behind him. “Gabe! Jesse’s on the phone!”

Jesse heard a clatter and a yell in Spanish and then Mr. Gabe’s face showed up on the screen, wearing what looked like a beanie version of a Santa hat. The smile he wore lit up his eyes and Jesse almost started crying again at the look of pure love on their faces.

“Merry Christmas, Jesse,” they sang.

Jesse scrubbed at his eyes, giving them both a watery smile, heart lighter than ever, “Yeah. Merry Christmas.”

=x=x=x=

**Author's Note:**

>  **Translations | Click "Back" on Browser to Return**  
>  ¿Está bien si hablo con él por un minuto? = It okay if I talk with him for a minute?  
> Mi sol = My sun 
> 
> =x=x=x=
> 
>   
> I wanted to go back in time to the moment where Jesse began to love Christmas and to the start of his new life with his dads. :)
> 
> [Unedited.]  
> [Feel free to critique the Spanish!]
> 
>  [Ko-Fi!](https://ko-fi.com/S6S35W8B)


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